Gas tankless vs tank water heaters

[Michael Ndjondo makadi]

Hello community,

I have been debating whether switching to gas water heater makes sense over swapping the old tank WH with a new one?  Tankless WH cost has dropped significantly, they tend to last longer and are less prone to leaks but the initial switch might require upgrading the gas line with potential higher installation price tag. Those are for small units less than 960 sq ft. Any feedback will greatly be appreciated.

[Bruce Woodruff]

Bear in mind that Tankless units must be drained and de-scaled each year (by a licensed Plumber), or you will void the warranty.

When I was building a lot, most people in the SD beach area wanted the tankless (generally only because they were cool and groovy). We had lots of problems with them. Maybe that is not the case today, but I have always favored tanked WHs, especially on my own homes.

Most people may not care about this, but.....in the event of a disaster, if you have a tanked WH, you will have 40-50 gal of stored accessible water at your disposal.